A/N: Okay… So this idea kinda just came to me, it's a three-part with the first chapter being Seth's POV, second being Summer's, and third being an ending or whatever. Kind of a song-fic – each chapter is kind of based around a song. Or, I think the song is based on the chapter and characters, but the songs came out first so I guess that doesn't work. Kind of obviously, this is a S/S fic. Set after Cotillion ('The Debut'). First chapter's in the Crab Shack. I have no idea where Ryan is. He could be working or at the Cohen's, or wherever. Dream him into whatever little situation you feel comfortable with ;). I'm not sure if any other characters (Ryan, Marissa, etc) will appear. I guess they will. Okay, so I'll shut up now and let you read. Continue.
Disclaimer – I don't own The OC, Seth, Summer, or any additional characters. This is fan fiction people! Unless Josh Schwartz has registered and is anonymously writing fanfics, which I kind of doubt, then no one here owns the OC. Why bother with the disclaimers? We're just stating the obvious. By the way, I don't own Aqualung, Savage Garden, or Brian McKnight, either. The most I own is a thousand CDs and MP3 files, 50 OC posters, a couple of magazine articles and stickers, 300 pictures saved on my computer, three videos full of The OC episodes, The OC Season 1 DVD's, and whatever I can access on the internet. And a bunch of fanfic's. I own those because they came from my brain. Yay! But I don't own the characters. And round and round we go. I wish I owned Adam Brody, but sadly, I don't, so I'm getting on with my life and this story.
Chapter One - Secretly Falling Apart
Seth Cohen sat at a table in the Crab Shack, but he wasn't eating. He felt sick to his stomach. And not the kind of 'ohhh I'm sick I cant go to school' sick, more like the feeling he got when he saw Summer Roberts flirting with other guys. Jealousy-sick.
She was sitting a few tables away from him, surrounded by Holly, Marissa, and the usual gaggle of popular wanna-be's. Although he probably shouldn't say that about Marissa, coz she'd seemed pretty okay lately. Which was surprising and weird.
Anyway… Summer was surrounded by the wannabe girls, and buffed up water polo, soccer-playing guys. Seth slumped down in his seat. His wished Ryan were here, or at least that Anna chick from Cotillion – it'd be nice to have another friend. Seth looked over at Summer and Marissa again. Luke was with them, too. Seth felt really bad for Marissa; he didn't know how she could be all smiles and happiness while all this shit was happening with her family. That was when he realised it was a fake happiness. Marissa had her fake smiles, just like Summer did. What fake lives these people had. And Seth was glad he didn't feel the need to smile all the time. He had no one to pretend to. He looked at Summer again. She was so beautiful. It was odd – he knew all this stuff about her, her family, her friends, her school stuff, her life – and the only thing she knew about him was that he ditched her at Cotillion.
Why had he done that anyway?
Oh, right. Confidence. Ha. What a joke. And not a very funny one, either. Why did he do what Anna said? Why trust Anna, anyway?
He kept staring at Summer. Summer the Princess, Summer the Queen, Summer the Goddess. Seth the stalker, he thought, shaking his head but still looking at her. She really was so beautiful. But she was strange, too. She cared about what her 'friends' thought, yet they obviously weren't true friends and she bitched about them just as much as they talked shit about her. And besides that, he'd been watching her for years, and he knew as much about her as – possibly more than – anyone else, including Marissa, did. He'd learnt the fake smiles, and all her mannerisms. He knew her past. He knew when she was upset. And if he ever was close enough to her to see into her eyes, it was like a whole book sitting there waiting for him to read, a book only for him. Because he was the only one who had the ability to do that, yet he was probably the only guy she wanted to stay the hell away from. But what made her strange was that he knew there was a whole different person inside her, yearning to escape. To break free of the fake smiles and cold eyes and feel. But Seth knew why Summer had kept herself locked away. She was scared. Scared of so many things. And any one else would have doubted it and laughed in his face but he knew. And so he kept watching her.
I've been watching your world from afar
I've been trying to be where you are
And I've been secretly falling apartIt was moronic, the way he felt about her. Crazy. Stupid. Insane. Unstoppable. But for the first time in his life he thought maybe he might get a chance with her. His best friend was slowly getting together with her best friend. And Seth was getting to know her best friend. For the first time ever, he was involved with her things and was actually kind of welcome. He shook his head. There was no way. Because even though he could see how perfect they'd be together, she couldn't.
One of the things that killed him was the whole "ew" factor. And the fact that she'd hook up with so many random rich guys but not him, not ever. And everyone noticed her but she didn't ever notice the person who cared about her possibly more than anyone else ever could. Strange, and definitely beautiful.
To me, you're strange and you're beautiful…
You'd be so perfect with me but you just cant see
You turn every head but you don't see me
He had sometimes thought that there was nothing he wanted more than to fall asleep with her, wake up the next day and for her to say she loved him. But what he would love more would be if she let herself out. Let her true self escape the prison that her body had become. Because he knew her true self was even more beautiful than her body, and he wished she'd give them both – Seth and her true self – a chance.
I'll put a spell on you
You'll fall asleep and I'll put a spell on you
And when I wake you I'll be the first thing you see
And you'll realise that you love me
He shifted in his seat. She was looking at him. And Holly, the blonde bimbo Barbie, was giggling. God, he was sick of Holly. All these years there is only so long you can know a person like Holly. She was so annoying. He wondered when Summer or Marissa would finally come to their senses and ditch her. Probably the same day he got a chance with Summer. Neither were very likely.
Sometimes, the last thing you want comes in first
The last thing he wanted was her to hate or ignore him. Well, it was a bit late for that, especially since he was an Emo dork who was often bashed up by her buddies and ex-boyfriends.
Sometimes, the first thing you want never comes…
The first, and nearly only, thing he wanted was her.
And I know, the waiting is all you can do
Sometimes…
But he'd waited just about half his life, and it was seeming impossible. And waiting for it had turned him pretty depressed. Until Ryan came. Ryan came, and changed everything. Everyone. Maybe that could change Summer enough to make her let go of her armour also known as her body…
I'll put a spell on you
You'll fall asleep
Who was he kidding? There was no way.
Then he realised he was still staring at Summer. He was only shaken out of his dazed stupor when he realized she was headed towards him looking really pissed off. Oh, shit.
"Cohen!" she said loudly. "What the hell are you looking at?"
"N-othing," he gulped. What was it? Confidence. Right.
"Yeah, bullshit. Holly says you've been staring at me, for, like, twenty minutes." Summer sat down opposite him at the table. Her friends couldn't see her anymore, Seth noted. She was out of sight, out of hearing.
"Well, I wonder why was Holly looking at me for twenty minutes?" Seth mused, faking distraction,
"Ooh, maybe she's stalking me. Do you think she likes me?" he asked sarcastically with fake-eagerness.
"We both know that the only real stalker here is you, Cohen! Why the hell where you looking at me for so long?"
"Definitely strange…" Seth murmured, "but definitely beautiful."
"What?" Summer snapped. She'd heard him, and she felt like smacking him, because he was making her feel… something. God damn him. What the hell was he talking about? Why did she even care?
I'll put a spell on you
And when I wake you I'll be the first thing you see
"What?" he echoed. He thought he'd said that in his head.
"You said –"
"I didn't mean anything," he muttered. "Sorry for glancing your way, Summer, it will never ever ever happen again."
She stifled a smile, and he grinned. He'd made her smile, and not a fake smile either. But it was gone in a second, "It was an pretty long glance, Cohen. But whatever."
And you'll realise that you love me
"Hey, Summer –" he said as she stood up to walk away. She slowly turned back and looked at him.
"What are you doing this weekend?"
She sucked in a breath, "Coop's organized this dance thing. In a hall. It's this big… thing. So… I'm going to that." She narrowed her eyes, "Why?"
He shrugged, "No reason. Just interested. I thought your social calendar would be filled up with booty call dates and rocking coke parties."
"Well, you thought wrong," she snapped, and started to turn, "And if I ever catch you staring at me again, I will gouge out your eyeballs and hit them off a tee with a golf club." She spun around, her short, short skirt twirling. Seth's eyes zeroed in on her ass before he could help himself, then he added,
"I doubt you can play golf, Summer."
"Don't even try me, freak," she said over her shoulder, walking back to her 'friends'.
Seth stood up. This was getting old. He thought maybe he was getting somewhere, but then she had to go with the threats and the 'freak'. Maybe he shouldn't have said that remark about booty calls and cocaine parties. But it was true.
She was looking at him again, but this time he knew they were talking about him. Making fun of him. Yet again. And he could tell she was upset because although she was laughing, it was a fake laugh, she was biting her lip, and her eyes were full of… upset-ness. Why did he care so much? Seth rubbed his forehead, grabbed his bag, and walked away.
I'll put a spell on you
You'll fall asleep coz I'll put a spell on you
And when I wake you
I'll be the first thing you see
And you'll realise that you love me, yeah…
Aqualung Strange And Beautiful
